Opposite Fox’s 2-hour American Idol in prime, ABC improved over the year-ago Wednesday for the 4th week in a row, scoring double-digit gains in both Total Viewers (+19%) and Adults 18-49 (+26%). In fact, ABC was the only major net to grow year to year on either Nielsen measure. The Network ran #2 to Fox on Wednesday with Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34 and key Women (W18-34/W18-49). ABC’s Modern Family posted its most competitive finish ever against American Idol in Adults 18-49 (pacing within 1-tenth of a rating point of tying as the night’s top show), while outperforming Idol by 18% in Adults 18-34 to rank as Wednesday’s #1 TV show overall for the 3rd time in 4 weeks. ABC’s Wednesday numbers jumped week to week by 19% in Total Viewers and by 21% in Adults 18-49. In fact, the Net was up in each half-hour of the night over the week-ago Fast Affiliate ratings with viewers and young adults.
8pm, against CBS’ Survivor: One World and Fox’s Idol, ABC’s The Middle took full control its NBC comedy competition, outdrawing Whitney by 4.4 million viewers and by 73% in Adults 18-49. In addition, the ABC comedy continued to beat out Survivor by impressive margins with Adults 18-34 (+29%), Men 18-34 (+50%) and Women 18-34 (+29%). Up week to week in Total Viewers (+13%) and Adults 18-49 (+18%), The Middle scored 5-week highs – since 1/11/12. In addition, the show was up over its year-ago telecast in viewers (+8%) and young adults (+13%).
At 8:30pm, ABC’s Suburgatory towered over its freshman comedy competition in its slot, more than doubling the audience of NBC’s Are You There, Chelsea? (+106%) and for the 2nd week in a row leading by a best-ever 85% in Adults 18-49. For the 3rd time in as many telecasts, the ABC freshman comedy outran the second half of Survivor by double digits across the 18-34 demos: AD18-34 (+21%), M18-34 (+30%) and W18-34 (+29%). Suburgatory generated big year-over-year gains for ABC, growing the slot by 1.5 million viewers and by 41% in Adults 18-49 over the year-ago Wednesday. In addition, the freshman comedy increased over the prior week by 6% in viewers and by 4% in young adults.
The dominant #1 scripted show on Wednesday in Adults 18-49, ABC’s Modern Family doubled its lead-in at 9pm to outdeliver its closest scripted competition by 55% (CBS’ Criminal Minds). Modern Family’s results jumped over the same night last year by double digits in viewers (+16%) and young adults (+17%).
During the 9:30pm half-hour, ABC’s Happy Endings stood as the #1 scripted show in its slot with Adults 18-34 and Women 18-34. Once again boosting its slot year to year, ABC’s Happy Endings was up a sharp 17% in Adults 18-49 above the year-ago performance of Mr. Sunshine in the half-hour. The ABC sophomore comedy surged week to week by 14% in viewers and by 17% in young adults, generating its biggest-ever audience against American Idol.
Finishing a strong #2 during the 10pm hour, ABC freshman drama Revenge dominated NBC’s veteran L&O: SVU in viewers (+37%) and Adults 18-49 (+50%). In addition, the Disney-owned drama continued to rank #1 in its hour with Adults 18-34 and key Women (W18-34/W18-49). ABC’s Revenge marked a huge year-over-year improvement during Wednesday’s 10 o’clock hour, leaping by 48% in Total Viewers and by 41% in Adults 18-49 over first-run drama programming on the same night last year (Off the Map).
(Source: ABC)
